Best Best Bars Ever!

Colita

Have you picked up your copy of our October 2019 Best Bars issue yet? You should, it’s incredible—we’ve got Steve Marsh on the very best bar ever in the history of this year in the Twin Cities, a big ole’ deep dive on how the Twin Cities’ historical frontier bars helped create our fair cities, and a whole lot of very, very useful lists telling you about the best bar snacks in town, the best power-bars for power-people, and so much wonderosity.

Here’s a little aperitif on why our top craft-cocktail bars are killing it right now. Now go get the issue, and be sure to subscribe, we’ve got some top-secret best restaurant stuff coming up that you won’t want to miss a page of. Till then, enjoy these secrets of our best bars, and, cheers!

Why is Marco Zappia, leader of Colita and Martina, the most famous bartender between Chicago and Seattle? Because of his bonkers-wonderful “Where I’m going they don’t have roads” cocktail projects, of course. For instance, everything at Colita has something to do with fermentation, most of it taking place in big glass vessels behind the scenes filled with seasonal fermenting fruits like local apples, or grains like dried corn straight from Oaxaca. When he gets a flavor he likes, he stops it by adding spirits, and that unique beverage forms the basis of a cocktail you can get nowhere else on earth. This fall he says he’s adding freezing—think of ice-wine. What will that possibly taste like? You can only know when you go, because where Marco goes they may not have roads, but they have plenty of ice and fun.

P.S. Steak

What’s the right cocktail for a nouveau steakhouse? That’s the question Keith Mrotek wrestled after taking over the PS Steak bar program in July, following his five years at Marvel Bar and four running the cocktail room at Norseman. “There’s really a celebratory mindset with most of our guests, people come here for someone’s birthday, someone’s party,” says Mrotek. Then they eat steakhouse classics, freshly conceived. His eureka moment came when he understood how well New Orleans cocktail culture, both festive and food-friendly, fit in. Now the bar is very strong in Sazeracs, Vieux Carré’s, Ramos Fizz’, Champs d’Elysees’, and brandy, brandy, brandy. Before dinner have a cocktail in the lounge made with creole bitters and real absinthe, after dinner summon a snifter of the good stuff and snuggle in near the fireplace. Celebratory to the max.

Back bar at Young Joni

There are only 50-odd seats at the cabin-like backbar at Young Joni, but everyone wants one, so they line up patiently all weekend long. That’s because the 9-person bar crew, led by Adam Gorski, invents playful menus that reads like the sort of vintage periodical you might find in a cabin: Once it was a sort of birding guide, another time an imaginary small town paper’s classified section, another time a faux year-book. “Every menu tends to have around 14 drinks on it, and we have different flavors we want to hit, a bitter stirred drink, something festive and tropical, something very dry,” says Gorski. “When we did the yearbook, you’d go to a table and customers would be hooting, is that you? Yes, I got to play dress up, take pictures, and we make awesome drinks. We have fun.”

Marvel Bar

Most people identify Marvel Bar as the spot that’s stylish as a Chanel showroom, but have you ever thought about what it means that four of the bartenders, including lead Peder Schweigert, have been there for the whole nine years the place has existed? A few times a year, the team leads deep-dives for the staff into various topics, for instance, inviting the owner of one of the world’s largest gin collections in to lecture and taste. Forget a PhD, by now Schweigert and crew have got to be triple PhD’s in understanding what makes an exceptionally delicious glass. This fall the focus will be rare eaux de vies and brandies, some turned in to a cocktail with the steam-extracted juice of heirloom apples. “In looking for ways to challenge ourselves,” says Schweigert, “we’re able to find subtlety, nuance, and whimsy I’m not sure we could find any other way.” Whimsy? Look this fall for Grasshopper made from wild-harvested Wisconsin wintergreen, what could be more challenging and whimsical than that?

Tags

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl was born in New York City little aware of her destiny—to live well in Minnesota. Dara writes about food, people, places, and now and then, things! She has five James Beard awards out of 13 nominations, and has won three CRMAs.

Company Info

Subscriptions

Key Enterprise LLC is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for mspmag.com for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards.